Barnaby Joyce Has Been Accused Of Sexual Harassment
The complaint comes from a Nationals party official.
A formal sexual harrassment complaint has been made against Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the National Party has confirmed.
It’s believed the complaint was made by a woman from Western Australia, who is believed to be a National Party official.
Joyce’s office confirmed last night it was aware of the claim, which the Deputy Prime Minister will strenuously defend. A spokesperson for Joyce called the complaint “spurious and defamatory”, according to News Corp.
“All complaints are taken seriously and treated with the strict confidentiality and given due process,” the National Party federal director Ben Hindmarsh said in a statement.
The complaint comes at a difficult time for Joyce. Nationals MP Andrew Broad yesterday said he believed it was time for Joyce to step down — the first MP to publicly say so — after weeks of intense scrutiny on the Deputy Prime Minister’s private life following revelations of an affair with a former staffer.
Broad said that if Joyce has not stepped down by Monday, he intends to move a motion to spill the leadership, meaning Joyce is almost certain to face a challenge on Monday.
Speaking from the US this morning, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declined to support Joyce staying on as leader.
“Barnaby Joyce is leader of the National Party of Australia and as Leader of the National Party of Australia in a Coalition Government he is my Deputy Prime Minister,” he told a group of reporters.
Turnbull on whether he supports his deputy PM:
“Barnaby Joyce is leader of the National Party of Australia and as Leader of the National Party of Australia in a Coalition Government he is my Deputy Prime Minister.” #NotaRingingEndorsement pic.twitter.com/3wrzN7m8p7
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) February 22, 2018
The lukewarm endorsement comes a week after the PM blasted Joyce’s behaviour and essentially called on him to step down. Joyce responded by calling the PM inept.
Earlier this week, WA Nationals announced Joyce had lost their support as leader following the revelations.
Theoretically, Joyce is on “personal leave” this week, but that hasn’t stopped him from making some sort of public appearance almost every day.